Most common 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Share of the 512 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Tahoe complaints by model year
Best Tahoe years: 2020, 2014, 2018. Years to avoid: 2021, 2023, 2015, 2011, 2022. Compare all years →
2001 Chevrolet Tahoe recalls (5)
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles May experience unwanted antilock brake system (ABS) activation. This condition is more likely to occur in environmentally corrosive areas.
Remedy: Dealers are to remove the wheel speed sensor and thoroughly clean the wheel speed sensor mounting surface on the bearing, apply rust inhibitor to the cleaned surface, grease the mounting surface, reinstall the wheel…
Structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and Mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Seats › Front assembly › Head restraint
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with rearward folding head restraints on the second row seats, two potential pinch points exist on each of the folding head restraints when the restraints are folded rearward as the seatback is folded down.
Remedy: Dealers will install protective covers over the pinch points. Owner notification began November 8, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Vehicle description: pickup and utility trucks. Some of these vehicles have an internal component in the outboard seat belt retractors for the 2nd and 3rd row of seats that could be cracked. With repeated actuation of the locking mechanism, the crack could spread to the point such that the seat belt would no longer lock.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the outboard seat belts for specific lot numbers and replace the belts if necessary. GM is enclosing an inspection procedure for the owners to use or they can have their dealers do the inspections.
Structure › Body
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have loose or missing rear wheelhouse plugs. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, exhaust gases can flow forward and accumulate in the rear wheelhouse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle for loose or missing wheelhouse plugs and install new plugs if necessary.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe:
Unwanted low-speed ABS activation
In a letter dated August 29, 2005, GM notified odi that it was recalling certain model year 1999 through 2002 c/k pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles to correct a problem with anti-lock brake system (ABS) wheel speed sensor corrosion that May result in unwanted ABS activation and extended stopping distances during low-speed braking (recall 05v-379).GM's recall covers approximately 804,000 vehicles currently…
Steel wheel rim fracture
There have been less than 2 complaints per 100,000 subject vehicles related to the alleged defect.the oldest vehicles (my 1999) have only 2 complaints in over 140 thousand vehicles after over 4 years in service.the rate of warranty claims potentially related to the alleged defect is less than 0.1%.there are no known incidents involving rapid loss of tire pressure or loss of vehicle control.
Alleged failure of 2nd row seatbelt alr
The automatic locking retractor (alr) is a feature incorporated in the subject vehicle for locking the webbing to properly secure a child safety seat into a vehicle.this pe was opened based on a GM technical service bulletin stating that with certain child safety seats the webbing May not remain locked.there are no complaints in the odi database and only two complaints to GM.GM's instructions state for the final…
Brake line corrosion failure
On January 11, 2011, ODI opened EA11-001 to investigate allegations of premature brake line corrosion failure in model year (MY) 1999 through 2003 General Motors (GM) full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles sold or registered in the following region of the United States that NHTSA has viewed as salt states for investigations of corrosion related issues:Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia,…
Throttle sticking closed
This investigation involves the general motors corporation (GM)throttle body (tb) utilized in model year (my) 1999-2002 silverado, sierra, tahoe, suburban, avalanche and yukon (subject vehicle(s)) with 4.8l, 5.3l, and 6.0l engines. The tb valve May intermittently stick in a closed position.in such a situation, an operator May apply additional accelerator pedal force to increase engine speed.the application of…
Parking brake failure
Odi's review of complaint data received since the close of ea04-011 revealed no indication that the investigation should be re-opened.more details can be found in the federal register notice enclosed in the dp05-009 public file.odi reserves the right to reopen the investigation in the future should conditions warrant.
What 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe owners say
Brakes all 272 →
The contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle pulled to the left very hard, almost causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The ABS and brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the EBCM motor relay circuit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,632.
In the past I have sent several emails to Chevrolet corporate office re the ABS brake system on my Tahoe which first failed with only 130 miles on the vehicle. Vehicle almost tipped over but I recovered the braking system and stopped vehicle only inches from going off a cliff and into the ravine below. I love my Tahoe which now has 109000+ miles on it but the ABS brake system has never worked and on several occasions almost wiped out myself and a passenger because brakes failed to engage. I filed several complaints with the Chevrolet dealer in Austin, TX where I bought my Tahoe and also here in Taos, NM where I currently live. Recently I had the Chevrolet dealer here in Taos run a diagnostic on my ABS brakes. Result was that the brake system was defective and would cost $2000 to repair! …
Wheels & tires all 35 →
I bought Achilles desert hawk uhp 285/50/R20 tires in late 2019 from Walmart . and had them mounted in 2020 from discount tire. Within 10 months of tires being mounted I had a vibration and it was getting worse every day so I started looking at it and found I had a separated tire on the driver's side front. I put my spare on and contacted Walmart which told me sorry for your luck and there is nothing they can or will do.so I contacted discount and they said to contact Achilles tire. I did and never heard back from them. I then forgot about it until roughly 5 months ago when passenger tire was separated. Then 3 days ago the passanger rear separated and now today the driver's rear has separated. …
I took my vehicle for a 90,000 mile service call. The dealership did not make the recommended adjustments which are on recall then, or on a subsequent scheduled appointment. Make / models : model/build years: Chevrolet / suburban 2000-2001 Chevrolet / Tahoe 2000-2001 GMC / yukon 2000-2001 GMC / yukon xl 2000-2001 type: truck recall number: 00V343000 summary: vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Some of these vehicles have loose or missing rear wheel house plugs. Under certain vehicle operating conditions, exhaust gases can flow forward and accumulate in the rear wheelhouse. Consequence: these gases could flow into the passenger compartment if the plug is missing or loose and could cause possible illness, unconsciousness, or death. Remedy: dealers will inspect the vehicle for loose or missing wheelhouse plugs and install new plugs if necessary. …
Air bags all 31 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe. While driving at 45 MPH, another vehicle failed to yield and the contact crashed into the driver side of that vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair center for body repairs, but was not diagnosed for the air bag failure. Three years later, while driving 25 MPH, the contact crashed into an animal and then into a guardrail. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body repair center, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was unavailable.
My son and I was in an accident Saturday February 16. My right front tire went off the road and I tried to correct it when my back right tire went off the road and I tried to correct and went to the left when my left back tire dug into the earth and caused my truck to flip over. When the truck flipped over my son was ejected from the vehicle and he was wearing his seat belt but the belt came undone. Also in the rollover no side air bags deployed when if they did it might have kept him in the vehicle. Beware is all I can say.
2001 Chevrolet Tahoe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 4.8L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe a good car?
Based on 512 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Tahoe rates use caution: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tahoe at the same age. It is one of the Tahoe years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe?
The brakes — 272 complaints, 53% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the wheels & tires (35) and air bags (31).
How many recalls does the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, the most recent from August 29, 2005 (antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Tahoe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2014 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2021, 2023, 2015, 2011 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Tahoe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 29% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.